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. 2021 Jan 29;13(2):447.
doi: 10.3390/nu13020447.

Creatine in Health and Disease

Richard B Kreider  1 , Jeffery R Stout  2
Affiliations

Creatine in Health and Disease

Richard B Kreider et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Although creatine has been mostly studied as an ergogenic aid for exercise, training, and sport, several health and potential therapeutic benefits have been reported. This is because creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, particularly during metabolically stressed states, and limitations in the ability to transport and/or store creatine can impair metabolism. Moreover, increasing availability of creatine in tissue may enhance cellular metabolism and thereby lessen the severity of injury and/or disease conditions, particularly when oxygen availability is compromised. This systematic review assesses the peer-reviewed scientific and medical evidence related to creatine's role in promoting general health as we age and how creatine supplementation has been used as a nutritional strategy to help individuals recover from injury and/or manage chronic disease. Additionally, it provides reasonable conclusions about the role of creatine on health and disease based on current scientific evidence. Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that creatine supplementation has several health and therapeutic benefits throughout the lifespan.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory; anticancer; antioxidant; cellular metabolism; cognition; concussion; creatine synthesis deficiencies; diabetes; ergogenic aids; immunity; muscle atrophy; phosphagens; pregnancy; rehabilitation; sarcopenia; spinal cord injury; traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

R.B.K. has conducted industry sponsored research on creatine, received financial support for presenting on creatine at industry sponsored scientific conferences, and has served as an expert witness on cases related to creatine. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for AlzChem who sponsored this special issue. J.R.S. has conducted industry-sponsored research on creatine and other nutraceuticals over the past 25 years. Further, J.R.S. has also received financial support for presenting on the science of various nutraceuticals, except creatine, at industry-sponsored scientific conferences.

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